Car-moving device.



R. LAFRAMBOISE.

CAR MOVING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNE 21. 1913.

1,134,466. Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

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CARL-MOVING DEVICE.

Application filed June 21, 1913.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ROMAN LArRAMBoisn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maple Ridge, in the county of Delta and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Moving Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to car moving devices and particularly to a clamp adapted to engage a rail and to which block and tackle may be connected for moving freight or other cars.

The object of the invention is to provide an eflicient device of this character which is wedge actuated and which will therefore exert greater clamping action upon the rail in a direct ratio with the amount of pull exerted by the block and tackle.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is inexpensive in its manufacture, simple, eliicient, durable, which will not easily become out of order, and which is a general improvement upon the art.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel arrangement, construction, and combination of parts, as will be fully disclosed in the following specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device applied to a rail, Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view thereof on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a rail upon which the device is mounted.

The device comprises a bed or block 2 recessed upon its sides to form laterally extending ears 3, and also provided with a central recess 4. Bolts 5 extend through the ears 3 and through pairs of ears 6 formed on gripping members 7, thus pivoting the jaws so that they may be swung in a vertical plane. At their lower ends the members 7 are provided with inwardly extending jaws 8 which are adapted to grip the web of the rail 1. At their upper ends the members 7 are provided with inwardly extending projections 9 which have their inner faces 10 inclined, as shown, for a purpose to be described.

In order to move the upper ends of the members 7 outwardly, I provide an actuat- Specication of Letters Eatent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Serial No. 775,029.

ino' member 11 which is pivoted within the recess 4 by means of a bolt 12. The member 11 is wedge shaped, that is to say its sides 13 converge toward the front for cooperation with the inclined inner faces 10 of the extensions 9. i

I preferably form the inner faces 10 of the extensions 9 curved, as shown, and also form the sides 13 of the member 11 curved, to cooperate therewith so as to insure smoothness in the operation of the device. In order to provide attaching means for the connection of a block and tackle, I provide a. ring 14 which may be secured upon the member 11 in any desired manner.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming that a railroad or other car is upon a track and it is desired to move the car, my improved device is placed upon the rail at the desired distance from the car with the wedging member 11 disposed in practically a horizontal plane. This will allow the upper portions 9 of the members 7 to approach each other to a sufficient degree to allow the jaws 8 to be slipped over the ball of the rail. rIhe wedging member 11 should then be raised toward the vertical position as nearly as possible which will move the upper portions 9 of the members7 outwardly, causing the jaws 8 to engage the web of the rail. The device is then ready for use and one end of the block and tackle may be connected with the ring 14 and the other end connected with any suitable projection upon the car to be moved, whereupon the block and tackle may be operated to move the car. This forward pressure upon the actuating member 11 will cause the inclined curved surfaces 13 of the member 11 to engage the inclined curved faces 10 of the projections 9, thus tending to force the upper ends 9 of the member 7 outwardly and exerting a powerful gripping action upon the web of the rail by means of the gripping jaws 8. It will thus be seen that the greater the pressure exerted upon the member 11 the greater will be the clamping action of the jaws 8 upon the rail, thus locking the device absolutely rigidly in position that a strong pull may be exerted upon the car.

By forming the inner faces 10 of the projections 9 curved as well as inclined and by also forming the faces 13 of the member 11 curved as well as inclined, as shown, it will be obvious that perfect cooperation of these contacting members will be eEected, that a powerful and smooth working wedging action will be obtained.

It will be understood that although the present embodiment Vof my invention is of `fthe preferred form, I- may read-ily make the tread of a rail and provided with'a longitudinal slot and transverse recesses, Ya pair of vertically extending arms 'pivoted "intermediatetheir 'ends within said recesses and provided upon their lower ends with jaws Vadapted* to engagethe web of the rail and` provided upon their opposed inner faces adjacent their upper ends with outwardly and .forwardly beveled surfaces, a block pivoted within said longitudinal slot and wedgeshaped in longitudinal and crosssection for 25 'engagement with vsaid beveled surfaces, and

draft attaching means on said block Whereby said block may be moved forwardly 'for vclamping 'said arms upon the rail.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature 30 in presence of two witnesses. Y y ROMAN lLAFRAMBoisE.

UVitnesses:

FRANK JoHNsoN, 'HENRY Coi/IINER'S. 

